Jean Cousin, “Funerary Procession of Indigenous Brazilians”, 1558

Attributed to, or from the circle of, Jean Cousin the Younger (c. 1525–c. 1595), and/or Jean Goujon (c. 1510–c. 1565/68), and/or Germain Pilon (1535–1590) (see attribution offered by Christie’s Auctions: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5909342)

“Funerary Procession of Indigenous Brazilians” (descriptive title only), 1558

Technical Details & Condition:

This rare wood-engraving is executed on fine laid paper, trimmed around the image borderline, and backed with a support sheet of archival quality washi paper. It was published in Paris in 1558 by Maurice de La Porte (II) (1490–1558) as an illustration on page 83 of André Thevet’s (1502/16–1590) Les Singularitez de la France antarctique, autrement nommée Amérique: & de plusieurs terres & isles decouvertes de nostre temps. This work chronicles early European observations of the New World and its inhabitants.

The impression is strong and near faultless, with the sheet in pristine condition—free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 8.9 x 11.2 cm
• Image borderline: 8.7 x 11 cm

References:

Archive.org offers an online view of this print along with its contextual background in the publication: https://archive.org/details/DELTA54095RES/page/n191/mode/2up.

To give a flavour of the accompanying text describing this detailed wood-engraving, here is an extract (translated):
“The children of the deceased, after a month, will invite their friends to hold some feast and solemnity in his honour. And there they will gather people of various colours, plumage, and other attire in their own style, performing a thousand … ceremonies. I will mention in this place certain birds in this regard, having a similar cry and voice to that of an owl of this country, drawn upon the mournful one: which these Savages hold in such great reverence that one would not dare touch them, saying that by this mournful song these birds weep for the death of their friends: which makes them remember them.” (p. 83)

Price & Shipping:

AU$247 (approximately US$165.38 / €141.07 / £122.84), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you wish to acquire this extraordinary wood-engraving—an early depiction of indigenous Americans, executed during Michelangelo’s lifetime—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold 

Jean Cousin, “Treating Illness or Injury”, 1558

Attributed to, or from the circle of, Jean Cousin the younger (c1525–c1595), and/or Jean Goujon (c1510–c1565/68), and/or Germain Pilon (1535–1590) (see attribution offered by Christie’s Auctions: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5909342).

“Treating Illness or Injury”, 1558, published in Paris in 1558 by Maurice de La Porte (II) (1490–1558) as an illustration on the verso of page 88 to André Thevet’s (1516–1590) “Les Singularitez de la France antarctique, autrement nommée Amérique: & de plusieurs terres & isles decouvertes de nostre temps” (The Singularities of Antarctic France, otherwise called America: & of several lands & islands discovered in our time).

Archive.org offers an online view of this print and its context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/DELTA54095RES/page/n203/mode/2up.

To give an idea of the flavour of the text accompanying this extraordinarily fine woodcut, the following extract relates to the illustration: (Google transl.) “If one of them is injured by illness or otherwise, he is obliged to sew his wound, until he is cured: and while they make certain meats, each one being contrary to the other. They have a method of making incisions around the shoulders, and they get out of it with whatever quantity of languish they make, with some very sharp kind of grass, or with the teeth of some beasts. Their way of living when sick is that they will never give the patient anything to eat, unless he asks for it first…” (p. 89).

Woodcut on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline with letterpress text verso, backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 8.9 x 11 cm; (image borderline) 8.2 x 10.8 cm.

Condition: a strong lifetime impression (based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) trimmed with a thread margin. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains, laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and historically important Renaissance period woodcut showing for the first time in Europe a scene of Brazilians treating a man suffering from an illness or injury, for AU$247 (equivalent to approximately US$158.03, EUR 139, or GBP 118.68 at the time of listing) and includes Express Mail Service (EMS) postage and handling to any worldwide destination. Please note that any import duties or taxes levied by the destination country are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the purchase price. Payment is requested in Australian dollars (AU$247).

If you are interested in this extraordinary woodcut executed in Michelangelo’s lifetime showing one of earliest depictions of indigenous native Americans, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Jean Cousin, “Brazilian Diet”, 1558

Attributed to, or from the circle of, Jean Cousin the younger (c1525–c1595), and/or Jean Goujon (c1510–c1565/68), and/or Germain Pilon (1535–1590) (see attribution offered by Christie’s Auctions: https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5909342).

“Brazilian Diet”, 1558, published in Paris in 1558 by Maurice de La Porte (II) (1490–1558) as an illustration on page 57 to André Thevet’s (1516–1590) “Les Singularitez de la France antarctique, autrement nommée Amérique: & de plusieurs terres & isles decouvertes de nostre temps” (The Singularities of Antarctic France, otherwise called America: & of several lands & islands discovered in our time).

Archive.org offers an online view of this print and its context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/DELTA54095RES/page/n139/mode/2up.

To give an idea of the flavour of the text accompanying this extraordinarily fine woodcut, the following extract is from text above the print when it was published (my apologies if my reading and translation of the French text contains errors): “And even in our early Europe, and before the earth was cultivated and inhabited, men lived even more austerely without flesh or fish, not having the industry to eat it: and yet were robust, and lived long, without being as effeminate as those of our time: who are all the more delicately treated, and the more subject to illnesses and debilities” (p. 44).

Woodcut on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline with letterpress text verso, backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 8.7 x 11.2 cm.

Condition: a strong lifetime impression (based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) trimmed with a thread margin. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains, laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and historically important Renaissance period woodcut showing for the first time in Europe a scene of Brazilians eating with the advice extracted from the published text (apologies if there are errors in my reading of the French text), “The more delicately fed men are, the less robust they are” (p. 44), for AU$247 in total (currently US$161.81/EUR149.03/GBP125.70 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$247) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in this extraordinary woodcut executed in Michelangelo’s lifetime showing one of earliest depictions of indigenous native Americans, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold